Workers dangled from cables after San Francisco construction collapse
by The Associated Press
Colleagues scrambled with ladders and lumber to help the stranded workers climb down while others pulled themselves and each other out of thick, wet concrete
OAKLAND, Calif.—Scaffolding and wet concrete gave way at a building site in the San Francisco Bay Area May 26, leaving construction workers dangling from metal cables and rebar and injuring at least 19 people, officials said.
The partial collapse occurred after workers had laid down what appeared to be a concrete second floor for a building under construction in Oakland.
At least three workers in hardhats and yellow and orange vests in midair, clinging to metal cables and rods to keep from falling.
Colleagues scrambled with ladders and lumber to help them climb down. Other workers pulled themselves and each other out of thick, wet concrete.
Authorities described the injuries as mostly minor, including cuts and bruises. Emergency crews transported the injured to three local hospitals, said Clayton Warren, a spokesman at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center.
The cause of the collapse was not immediately known, and California work-safety officials were investigating.
